Device for filing tape and other flat material



lMimh ls, 1958 s. A. FEELEY DEVICE FoR FILING TAPE AND OTHER FLAT MATERIAL Filed Jan. 7, 1957 Iwezzor.-

y fm@ ma f M fo w /f w w /0 2 u @im m m :nl n ,T n n u m nwV m 4F FL 4 E 4 3 United States Patent DEVICE FOR FILING TAPE AD OTHER FLAT MATERIAL Seymour A. Feeley, Cambridge, Mess.

Application January 7, 1957, Serial No. 632,913

1 Claim. (Cl. 129-16.7)

This invention relates to a filling device in the form of a folder of sheet material made in such manner that when folded it will provide convenient and secure means for storing and filling tapes of tne type customarily used for recording and/or transmitting intelligence by means f holes punched therein as well as other additional flat material.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 587,898 filed May 28, i956, for Tape Filer.

The invention which acts as a protective container for transporting and/or ling tape and other related fiat material, is in the form of a foldable sheet of material may be made of any suitable heavy paper, card stock, thin sheet plastic or the like.

The invention when folded in the proper manner may be used to store therein, in addition to the punched tape, other at articles such as, for example, punched cards of the type used in business machines.

The folder of the present invention in its ilat condition may be cut to any convenient dimensions but generally speaking, it is preferable that the dimensions be such that the device when folded with the tape stored therein will be of suitable dimensions for filing in standard filing cabinets. In a preferred form, the folder will be of such size that when in folded condition it may receive therein the folded punched tape and also if desired a few punched business machine cards whereby the entire unit may be stored in the same iiles in which it is now customary to store punched business machine cards.

The invention includes as an important element thereof a special indexing tab which acts not only to lock the unit in folded position but also provides a visible area to which indexing information may be applied.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. l shows the card in unfolded position with a folded tape partially inserted therein.

Fig. 2 shows the card of Fig. l after the first folding step has been taken and additionally, a busineess machine card is illustrated in partly inserted condition.

Fig. 3 shows the card in completely folded condition having secured therein both a punched tape and a business machine card.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the tape filer is shown in its initial form as a dat card or folder 2 having three sections, a cover section 4, a middle section 6, and a tape receiving section 8 which are separated from each other by fold lines it) and l2. The fold line 19 is slit at that portion designated by the solid line 14.

Section 8 has therein two diagonally disposed slits i6 and 18 and two holes 20 and 22. Slits le and l are of such dimensions that they will be able to receive the corner locking tabs 24 and 25 of section 4 when the unit is folded in the manner that will shortly be explained.

The holes or openings and 23 are of such dimensions vertically and horizontally and have an extent cross-Y wise between the transverse edges of the tape receiving section such that a folded punched tape indicated at 28 may readily be fed therethrough to be held in position thereon. Along the lower edge of section 8 is an indexing tab 32 aligned with slit 14.

By way of further explanation the tape 2S as now used in many business machines or automatic production equipment may perhaps be up to 30 feet in length. To

store such tape in the present invention it is contemplated that the tape will be folded back and forth upon itself to a length which will be something less than the width of the folder 2 but of greater length than the spacing between the holes 20 and 22. When folded properly the tape 28 may be fed through the two holes to be adequately supported and maintained in position on section 8. Tape 2S when fully inserted will appear with respect to section 3 as in Fig. 2. The plurality of layers that constitute the folded tape are shown in section in Fig. 4 at 28.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the first step in folding the unit into tiling position has been undertaken. Section S of folder 2 with the tape 2S fully inserted in openings 2d and 22 has been folded upwardly so that that portion of the tape numbered 30 will lie against the face of section 6. The tab 32 of section 8 is inserted through the slit 14 so that tab 32 extends above fold line 1G as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 and in this position locks section 8 to section 6.

Also illustrated in Fig. 2 at the rst stage of folding is a business machine card 34 which has been partially inserted to lie between the opposed faces of sections 6 and 8. This card 34 shown extended to the left in Fig. 2 will normally be inserted its full length to be within the confines of the side edges of the folder as is illustrated in Fig. 3.

The final step in the folding operation of the unit is shown in Fig. 3. Here the section 4 has been folded down to overlie the upwardly folded section 8 and the locking tabs 24 and 26 have been inserted through slits i6 and 18 where they remain to hold section 4 in its final position. As clearly shown in this figure and also in Fig. 2, the tab receiving slits 16 and i8 are positioned adjacent to the two corners of the tape receiving section 8 and close to the middle section 6. The slits extend diagonally across their respective corners, with the remote ends thereof adjacent to the free side edges of the section. The remote end of each slit is further located at a point laterally of and within the crosswise extent of the tape receiving openings 20 and 22. Thus when the tabs 24 and 26 are inserted in their respective locking slits i6 and 18, the inner ends of the tabs form stops for retaining the folded tape in the tape receiving openings, provided the tape has been fed through the openings 2i) and 22 so that the tape ends lie between section 8 and section e after the folding of the latter section to the position of Fig. 3. The locking tabs, which also assure against accidental opening of the folder, are formed by notching the adjacent sides of the cover section. The two notches of each tab are substantially in alignment with the opposite ends of that tabs locking slit, thus providing each tab with a pair of oppositely extending locking shoulders adapted to interlock each tab with its slit, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 3. The indexing tab 32 extends above the upper edge 10 of the folded unit and the bottom edge is defined by the fold line l2.

The tiling unit when in the complete folded position, shown in Figs. 3 and 4 will be of such dimensions that it may be stored in a conventionally sized filing cabinet, thus making it possible to use existing files for the storage of punched tapes in a manner heretofore unknown to the art.

Patented Mar. 1S, 1958 By way of further explanation'` ofthe folded condition Y It will be understood from the foregoingV description that theV dimensions or'numbers of holesY such as illustrated by holes 2% and 22 for receiving and holding the folded tape in position may be varied without departing from the spirit of this invention. Similarly, the locking tab formations 24 and 26 used for locking section 4 in downY position might be modified or even omitted in cheaper constructions inY which it might be considered unnecessary to lock section 4 downwardly. Obviously, when the folders are in position against each other in a tiling cabinet the locking effectV of tabs 24 and 26 might be deemed unnecessary.

The length and height of indexing tab 32 and slit 14 likewise may be varied according to theinformation that isV to be placed on the tab.-

With respect tothe indexing tab 32 it should be pointed out that the tab in theform shown appears on the left half of the folder. By turning the card shown in Fig. l over, it is apparent that tab 32 and slit 14 would then be on the Vright hand side of the card and if the folding procedures described with regard to Figs. 2 and 3 were then followed the folded unit would have tab 32 on the right hand side. This is a desirable feature as it is consideredipreferable in many filing procedures that some indexing tabsV be to the Vright and others to the left. The same result, of course, could be achieved in the initial cutting of foldersvas shown in Fig.V 1 with some of V,the cards having slits 14 Yand tabs 32 on'the' left half and others having slits 14 and tabs 32 on the right half.

In such Vcases the folding with respect to score lines 10 A filing unit for ling foldable tape and related docu- Y ments in flat form, saidV unit comprising in its unfolded form a generally rectangular sheet ofy foldable material divided into three substantially equal sectionsby two parallel fold lines' thereby to form a cover section, a`

middle section, and a ta'pe receiving section, said tape receiving section having a transverse free edge and an opposite transverse edgeconnected to said middle section and having opposed free side edges, said tape receiving section being cut therethrough in twoplacesto fornrtwol openings each having a longitudinal extent crosswise between said transverse edges thereof or receiving and holding in position therein'a folded tape, said openings being spaced approximately equidistantly between the side edges and the centerV of said tape receiving section,V said tape receiving section having an indexing tab extending from its transverse free edge, saidV coverV section having a transverse free edge and an opposite transverse edge connected to said middle section on the other side thereof from said tape receiving sectionv and having opposed free side edges, the fold line between said cover section and said middle section being slit along the portion thereof which is in alignment with said indexing tab whereo,I said indexing tab may be inserted in said aligned slit, said tape receiving section having two locking slits therein, each slit being positioned adjacent to a corner of said tape receiving section and'close'to'said middle section and extending diagonally across its'respec'tive corner with one end thereof adjacent to the free side edge of the section and located at a point laterally of and Within the crosswise extent of said tape receiving openings, said cover section having two locking tabs thereon,V each of said locking tabs being located at a free corner of said cover section and formed by a notch in said free transverse edge of said cover section and a notch in the respective adjacent free side edge thereof with the inner corners of the two notches of each tab substantially in alignment with the opposite ends of the locking slit nearer said toV interlock each tab with the said nearer slit upon folding said cover section over said tape receiving section and insertingsaid tab in its said respective slit, thereby to lock said cover and tape receiving section together, said tabs forming stops for retaining tape in Said tape receivins'v 'o enins in which the ends of such ta e extend through said tape receiving openings in a directionopposite to the direction in which said tabs extend through said locking'slits thus providing a completely locked pro' Y tective container.

References Cited in the tile of this patent 

